Epiphany
by Eternally Seventeen
Summary: I know what you are." When Bella, aboard a cruise ship realises who the dashing 'Jason Hale' truly is, her world spins out of control in this epic saga of passionate love, immense hatred & deciet-with a promise of friendship forever. R&R, 1st Twilight FF!
1. Chapter 1: All Aboard!

**A/N: Here I am with a brand new fic! It's my first Twilight fic and I love Twilight to bits, so please REVIEW!**

**Oh, and Edward Cullen is MINE, period!**

**Disclaimer: Of course I do not own the Twilight series, all credit goes to the sensational Stephenie Meyer. If I did, would I be sitting here and typing out fanfic? I should think not! But since I'm not Stephenie, here's my fanfic. **

**PLEASE do R&R&R&R&R&R&R!!**

**Chapter One – All Aboard!**

The golden sun shone down on a cerulean sky which reflected on the tranquil waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Dolphins leaped gracefully, calling out to the members of their pod playfully. Their clicking and clacking sounds proved soothing for a very frazzled Bella Swan, who sat by the dock of the ship, observing the perennial cheerfulness of the dolphins. _How she envied them._

She saw as they playfully raced each other, speeding into the depths of the waters and then leaping gracefully outwards, performing cartwheels, pirouettes, spins and whirls with ease and grace that even the most professional gymnast would die to be capable of. The friendly aura that the emanated at all times endeared to Bella, and soon she had taken to gazing at them as they played on and on and on, trying her best to distract herself from all those unwanted thoughts that had a penchant for creeping up on her at the most annoying times.

She looked at the dolphins for some more time, staring morosely at their happiness and failing to share in the joy and excitement that they were emanating in abundance. The events of the past few days left her in turmoil, and thought she had escaped from the harsh reality of Forks, though her surroundings now were nothing like that she had left behind in her wake, memories haunted her and there was no way in which she could escape from those.

She could still hear parents' voice clearly in her head as they played over and over again, haunting her every waking moment. Her dreams too were plagued by the memories of her last few days on Forks – when she had broken the hearts of all those she held near and dear.

Charlie.

Renee.

Jacob.

Her heart thudded painfully on the last name, causing her to choke back a few tears that were threatening tip sill from her chocolate orbs. She brushed them away impatiently.

"I am not going to let those people and memories ruin me," she whispered fiercely. "This cruise marks a new chapter in the story of my life – titled independence. This was to happen, either now or later. I just have to grab the opportunity and when I get back home-"

Her rambling was interrupted by a young steward who was holding a tray laden with glasses of refreshments.

"Sorry?" faltered Bella. She cursed herself for failing to notice his presence or hearing him the first time.

"I said, would you like a refreshment, ma'am?" repeated the steward, looking a tad bit annoyed at her lost state.

"What all have you got?" she replied, noticing for the first time that each carefully crafted glass contained a different float. She, being Bella, just said it out loud without thinking twice. "I mean, each glass has a different coloured liquid," she stated. "And I happen to be allergic to cherry. So can you please do your job and tell me what is what?"

The steward sighed tiredly and ran a hand through his mussed up hair. "This is a tropical papaya shake, that one is pina colada with a dash of seltzer, here we have the cherry-pineapple-kiwi shake- don't have that," he added, remembering Bella's allergy. "And finally, the avocado milk shakes. Would you like to have anything, ma'am? I have other people to tend to." He couldn't keep the irritated edge out of his voice.

"Thank you, and I'm sorry." She gazed unfocusedly out towards the sea as she made a grab for the avocado milk shake. She stood up to make a move towards her cabin, for the dolphins had gone, presumably feeding, and she didn't have any other company.

Suddenly, a loud announcement made over the ship loudspeaker made her jump out of her wits. "Attention all children aged eight and above, free swimming sessions at Pool Number 3 starting in ten minutes! Be there if to want to have a splash!"

She scrambled wildly to keep her balance, but with no avail. And so, on the corridor en route to her room, Bella Swan had a typical Bella moment – she careened wildly for a second and then tripped, the aforementioned avocado milk shake still in hand. She mentally braced herself for the crash that was to come, and also for a few 'Aren't you too old to be tripping?' comments her way. She was even prepared to clean the thickly carpeted corridor and mess up the brand new sundress that she had bought from Vera Moda (which had, needless to say, cost her a mini fortune.)

What she was not prepared for, were a pair of strong arms that caught her around the waist and managed to rescue the milkshake that went sailing through the air - at the same time.

**A/N: End of chapter 1! I'm going to write this story in the form of short chapters many in number. Got me? I sure hope so!**

**I hope you liked it….whatever your comments may be, make sure you tell me by REVIEWING! I shall update once I get at least 10 reviews…I'm buried under homework, so it's not like I have another choice! **

**-SashaWPevensie (a.k.a Bella Cullen!)**


	2. Chapter 2: Who Are You, Really?

**A/N: Chapter 2 is here! I'm very, very dissappointed that I got only 1 review for the first chapter. I mean, seriously. One is a bit too less! I couldn't withstand holding this chapter for too long, so I posted it with the hopes that I shall recieve more reviews. Please do not dissappoint me?**

**Chapter 2 – Who Are You, Really?**

"Aaaah!"

It was not pain that caused Bella to let out an ear-splitting shriek. Nor was it the discomfort of having sticky milkshake all over your brand new cream and pink sundress. Rather, it was from the fact that she was _not _in such a situation. She was supposed to be dripping with milkshake, for lord's sake!

"Are you alright?" queried a velveteen voice. In a daze, she turned around to face her rescuer. He held out her milkshake. "I believe this is yours." He couldn't refrain from keeping the laughter out of his voice.

As soon as he noticed that she was alright, he was away from her. Bella stared at him in surprise. The first thing that caught her eyes was his odd clothing. Despite the weather being hot, humid and generally a sultry tropical climate, he had on a black woolen turtleneck worn over denim jeans. His hair, when it caught the sunlight, displayed an odd shade of bronze unlike anyone that Bella had ever seen.

And his eyes! They were the colour of molten gold, of the sun shining on a clear day or the colour of warm butterscotch. Basically golden. She squinted at him to get a closer look, wondering whether he was wearing lenses. _Is yellow even an eye colour?_ But she didn't comment about his eyes. Instead-

"Aren't you feeling hot?" blurted out Bella.

"Glad to see that you are fine," replied her unknown rescuer, breaking out into a bemused smile.

Bella winced. _Great choice of words to the guy to prevented you from eternal embarrassment. _"I'm so sorry," said Bella apologetically, a blush spreading rapidly across her cheeks. She strode forward to where he stood. A wary expression crossed his face.

"Hi, I'm Isabella Swan. But please, call me Bella," she quipped, extending an arm out.

"I'm Jason. Jason Hale. Very pleased to make your acquaintance, Bella." He eyed the hand she held out with a wary eye. Just as he was about to take her hand, he made one of his lightning-fast movements again and a confused Bella saw him standing with his back to her. She couldn't figure him out. _First he saves me from myself, after which he does everything possible to get away from me. _

She dropped her hand and walked deliberately towards him. There was something about this guy that she quite couldn't place, and it strangely intrigued her.

"How do you do that?" she wondered out loud. A few feet ahead of her, he froze. "Why won't you take my hand? Have I done something wrong?"

The loud ringing of the phone interrupted her. "Sorry," she said apologetically, still to his back. She pulled put her phone from the bag she carried around with her at all times and groaned when she saw who it was.

"I'll have to go now. Thank you so much for helping me out…and I'm very sorry if I've done anything that annoyed you today. That's just the way I am. I hope to see you around?" she ended with a question.

Slowly, he turned around to face her. "I will see you later, Bella Swan," he murmured softly, sending chills down Bella's spine for some unknown reason. And he was gone.

After blinking twice to see that the whole thing was not merely a hallucination on her behalf, Bella returned to the phone that was still ringing persistently. 'Aww, should I even pick it up?" she grumbled to herself. But her guilt at evading her parents for so long and she picked up the phone, wincing at the thought of her mother's shrill worried voice over the phone. With shaking hands, Bella flipped the phone open.

"He- Hello?"

"Bella, honey? Is that you?"

She winced yet again, surprised that despite the fact that she knew it was coming, it sounded so much worse in real.

"Yes, Mom. Who else would pick up my phone?" She replied in a flat tone.

"Oh, honey, we've been so worried about you! Not answering our calls, our emails, all alone on a cruise in the middle of nowhere with no money on your hands…you're our only daughter, our only child, Bella! And you've always been so responsible, and now you've suddenly taken off like this in a fit of anger…"

Bella massaged her temples. With both guilt as well as annoyance building up on her slowly, she was doing all that she could to prevent herself from throwing the phone into the waters of the ocean. And then she noticed something – voices in the background that sounded all too similar. She interrupted her mother's ranting.

"Mother, is Dad there with you? I mean, I thought that I heard his voice in the background, and so-"

Renee cut her off. "Yes, Dad is here." Her voice turned stiff on the word 'dad'.

"What is he doing there in Jacksonville, mom?" Bella sounded thoroughly confused.

Renee's voice turned sour. "Bslahme mwee four sho" she mumbled.

"WHAT?"

"Baby sitting me, of course," she replied, a tinge of annoyance colouring her tone. Bella nodded as though her mother could see her. After realizing the silliness in her action, she stopped nodding her head and spoke quickly into the phone.

"Mom, Charlie-I mean, dad is just being concerned for you. Please don't shun it away and take care of yourselves, alright? International phone calls are pretty darn expensive and I hope that you have realised by now that I have to access to internet onboard a ship in the middle of the ocean." Her voice came out much sharper than she meant to make it, and she instantly regretted the usage of such a tone. But it wasn't like they had been all that understanding these past few months, which was the major reason behind this trip. She was just escaping from reality like a coward, a fact that she was only too well aware of.

"I'm sorry, honey." Renee's voice came out as a whisper. "Would you like to speak to him now?" Bella knew that she meant Charlie.

Bella considered this. "No", she said as an afterthought. "Give him my love, though. 'Bye, Mom."

"Bye, Bella. We are so sorry for what we did to you. Please come home soon, honey? I love you."

"Bye and love you too." She did not reply to the second part, for she knew that it would be weeks, months, rather-before she would return home. _If _she would ever return home.

Bella was exhausted beyond belief – mentally, of course. Lazing around the whole day, staring at the dolphins and moving just to and from her cabin did not exactly provide the best exercises. She shut the phone with a snap and sought out a stewardess who was busy arranging a wildflower bouquet as a centerpiece on the table.

"Excuse me," she stared.

The stewardess looked up. Bella spied the name that was printed on the badge that was reflecting light from the setting sun.

"May I ask you something, Hannie?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Can you please take me to whoever has the names of all those aboard this ship? I would like to ...find someone."

Hannie gazed at Bella curiously.

"Well, it is against our policies to reveal information to our other customers-" she began.

Bella gave her a beseeching look. "Please, Hannie? It isn't like as though I'm going to use the information against anybody. I would just like to know in which cabin a certain Jason Hale stays," she pleaded. "Please? I have something very important to ask him."

"Follow me."

She led Bella to a well-lit room right beside the captain's. The first thing that captivated anybody's eye in that room was the fact that it was empty except for a huge filing cabinet. A piece of paper was taped to its front, with the words 'Cabin List – Atlantic Cruise 2007' printed neatly in bold. Hannie walked over to it and pulled out a thick black folder.

"Who is it that you were so eager to find?" she queried.

"Can you please tell me the cabin number of a Jason Hale, please?" requested Bella, impatient to talk to him.

Hannie nodded. After running a shiny silvered nail up and down the pages for quite some time, she turned towards Bella with a half-angry, half-pitying expression upon her face.

"There is no one called Jason Hale aboard this ship, Miss Isabella Swan. My guess is that you have been severly misled."

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**A/N: End of the chapter! Now, I am in a very important grade at school and may not get the time to update as much as I wish to. Don't worry, I will as much as I can...I'm not abandoning my fic! So please do REVIEW to speeden up my updating process. It's a heartfelt plea!**

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	3. Chapter 3: Considering

**A/N: So here's chapter 3. I'm very, very sad that I have got only three reviews so far, and I post this chapter with the hope that I shall recieve more.**

**Many loud thanks go out to **_oceanlover14_, _Neo-Princess Rini_ **and** _xSaraxCullenx_ **for their extremely supportive reviews. THANKS, YOU GUYS!! **

**Now, wothout further ado...here's chapter 3.**

**Chapter 3 –Considering…**

Bella was awake the next day even before the sun was out. She didn't catch much sleep the previous night. Of course, who would when you just found out that mysterious looking stranger who caught you neatly as you were about to crash head-first had lied to you about his name? And what was worse, Bella seemed to be drawn to him like a pin to a magnet, despite the fact that he seemed to try and do everything he could to stay away from her. Isn't that why he had lied to her about his name in the first place?

"Stupid, stupid Jason Hale," whispered Bella, punching her pillow viciously. She didn't understand why she was so affected just because he had lied to her about his name. After all, it was not even like they knew each other – he just happened to be there at the wrong time, when a perennially clumsy young woman happened to trip over her feet while having up taken permanent residence in her dream world– _again_.

She quickly pulled herself out of the bolstered bed and washed herself in the small bath present within the cabin. As the hot water caressed her body, she mulled over all that had happened yesterday and wondered, for the zillionth time as to why any of this should bother her at all. Being the klutz that she was, there had been many people who had helped her whenever she had tripped, fallen, banged her head, broken her hand, pinched her thumb between double doors and in case of all her other injuries whose list is too long to be said.

Ok, so not too many people had helped her. Generally, pointing and laughing followed name-calling and jeering. She sure had a penchant for attracting large crowds fpr all the wrong reasons.

"Oh, who am I kidding?" muttered Bella in disgust. She truned the shower off and exited the bathroom, dripping water onto the fluffy white rug placed at the entrance as she did so. She pulled on another sundress, black this time with elegant lace designs at the neck and the hemline. It fit her snugly, flaring at the waist and falling down to the calf. After running a brush hurriedly through her unruly long brown hair, she pulled her tresses into a ponytail and left the cabin.

"I have to find out what is going on with this Jason Hale, a.k.a something I do not know," she muttered. "It will eat me alive if I don't – that much I am sure of. I am ready to even take it if he yells at me or starts hating me-" She could go on no more, for she knew that that would be all lie. She _would _care, and it _will _affect her. Not like that stopped her.

She walked out onto the deck, enjoying, for the first time, the cawing and mewing of the sea-gulls as they dipped low over the ship's sails. She enjoyed as the gentle wind caressed her cheeks and the salty foam sprayed her slightly. She laughed, and it sounded foreign to her – she hadn't laughed for so long, it felt so lovely. Smiling at the sea-gulls and waving at them like as though they were going to respond, she took the silence of the early dawn for granted and enjoyed watching as the first rays of the sun hit the clouds, tingeing the previously gray clouds with rose. She spun around like a little child, enjoying the little intricate beauties of nature, forgetting all her worries and just giving herself up to the forces of nature.

And then she saw him again.

* * *

When he noticed Bella pirouetting gaily over the decks of the ship, he had to stifle back a laugh. _She is so unpredictable,_ he thought. The wind caught a few strands of her long, brown hair and threw them in his direction. He inhaled deeply, sighing as he did so. _I've got to stay away from her. I don't know why, but she seems to attract trouble faster that honey attracts bees. I cannot let harm befall her, especially not on my account._

And just as suddenly as he had been there, he was gone.

* * *

Bella was having trouble making up her mind. _Should I go and confront him?_ Now seemed as good a time as any – the whole ship was deep in slumber, save for herself and him. Whoever _he_ was. But what if he shied away from her again, as he did yesterday?

He must be an athlete of some sort, she decided. Nobody can move with such agile and quick, lightening fast movement, she decided. That's it! He must be someone famous, trying to avoid company so as to not get mobbed by people. She was not big on sports and hence had no idea of the current top athletes and such.

Feeling much better with her reasoning (albeit illogical), she turned around to where he had previously stood just a moment ago, gazing at the sea with a pensive look upon his face.

He was not there.

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**A/N: The end of yet another chapter! I'm feeling a bit low and dissappointed with the lack of reviews...please, please, please leave a review, won't you? (makes puppy eyes)**

**Peace,**

**SashaWPevensie (Bella Cullen!)**


	4. Chapter 4: Dining Table Conversations

**A/N: Voila, here's chapter 4. Please RnR??  
**

**Chapter 4 – Dining Table Conversations**

What had seemed like a perfectly beautiful, optimistic and productive morning turned sour for Bella the moment she realised that 'Jason' was missing. _Drat…I never even got to ask him his name! _Bella cursed. She looked around frantically for a few minutes but gave up in vain when she realised that all those aboard the ship had awoken, and the ship had resumed its usual hustle-bustle state.

Children ran up and down with their parents calling out to them, reminding them that it was time for breakfast. Couples walked about hand in hand, oblivious to everyone and everyone except each other. And a gang of teenagers lounged around with the music blaring in the headphones, so loud that all those around them were getting a taste of hard rock – whether they wanted to or not.

Soon, the breakfast gong sounded. Bella, having the misfortune of standing near the gong got an earful of it in her right ear. Luckily, she was prepared this time and did not trip or fall. After silently congratulating herself for being surprisingly _un_clumsy (if that was even an English word, which she very much doubted), she followed the masses towards the massive dining room.

Having skipped her meals the previous two days on account of depression and since today was merely her third day onboard, Bella was awed by its immense dimensions. The huge wall to wall windows gave a spectacular view of a wide expanse of sea along with the wake of the ship, as the dining hall was at the rear end of the ship. Silken curtains that framed the windows were thrown open and tied together with elegant scarves. Butlers dressed formally in black and white weaved in and out of the crowds, taking orders and delivering dish after dish of mouthwatering goodness.

Unconsciously, Bella's mouth started watering and she walked into the dining hall, eyes searching for a place to sit. But by this time, the people had used the time that she had used to gape at the dining hall for finding tables to sit at. She wove in between the tables, trying valiantly to find at least a table meant for one, but with no avail. Just when she thought that she would have to starve again today, she caught sight of a young girl probably the same age as her sitting alone at a table, back facing Bella. She sighed in relief and walked quickly over to the table before anyone else snagged her last option.

"Hey, I am very sorry to butt in, but I have absolutely nowhere else to sit. Do you mind if I accompany you to breakfast?" queried Bella.

"I saw you coming!" shrieked the girl at the table. Bella took a step back in alarm.

"I'm very sorry," chirped the girl apologetically. "No, it's just my brother…he may or may not come…her face became smooth and blank for a moment, after which she resumed. "You may sit, no problems!"

Bella sat hesitantly. _Is this girl alright? _

"Hi, I apologize for my impoliteness. My thoughts were kind of preoccupied. I'm Alice Cullen." She waited, looking expectantly at Bella.

Bella scrutinized Alice. She _seems to be a nice sort_, she thought. She had short, glossy spiky hairs that literally stood in all directions, yet made her look like she was a model straight from the covers of _Vogue_. Her pixie-like face was stretched into a broad smile, and large dark eyes danced with mirth and mischief. She had on a violet full-sleeved top that was sequined at the neck. Her slim fitted back jeans had an interesting pattern running down the length of one slim leg.

"I-I'm Bella Swan," stammered Bella, instantly going red in the face. _Am I incapable of speaking one sentence without stammering? _She fumed inwardly.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Bella!" quipped Alice. "Oh, look…the butler is coming our way. Have you made your decision yet?"

Bella shook her head. In all the rush to grab a table to eat at, she had barely given the menu a glance. "I haven't even looked at the menu yet," admitted Bella.

"I suggest you go for the blueberry pancakes a la mode, I've heard it's their best dish here at the _Ocean Paradise_," offered Alice.

Bella shot her a grateful look. "Thanks!"

"May I take your orders, madams?" cut in the deep voice of the butler.

"One blueberry pancake a la mode and a glass of cranberry juice, please," recited Alice in her high, clear tinkling voice that seemed to belong to a professional singer.

"Will that be it?"

"Yes please, thank you."

After a surprisingly short amount of time which was spent in making small talk, a steaming blueberry pancake was placed before her. Not having eaten for two days, Bella was ravenous. Soon, the only sound that could be heard was Bella slurping the ice cream off the pancake and then the sighs of contentment as she bit into the steaming hot pancake. Her tortured stomach welcomed the delicious food gladly.

Alice looked on with amusement as she observed Bella eat. Unlike any other woman their age, Bella never bothered eating daintily. She literally shoveled the food into her mouth and sighed in happiness. Bella caught Alice staring at her and laughed ruefully.

"I know, I'm eating like a cavewoman, aren't I?"

Alice laughed, and the sound was like wind chimes – a happy, tinkling musical laughter.

"It's just that-I haven't eaten proper food for three days, and this pancake is sheer heaven for me right now. Thanks a million for suggesting it to me," Bella hastened to explain.

Alice laughed her high, muscial laughter again. "Hey, no problem, Bella!" she exclaimed. Then her face clouded over and she furrowed her brow in confusion. "Why have you not eaten for two days? No wonder you were so hungry! What were you trying to do, diet? You look just fine, let me tell you. Or starve yourself to death?" Alice was near hysterics.

Bella stared at Alice in alarm. Why did her not eating affect a mere stranger so much? But she quenched those thoughts and proceeded to straighten Alice's thoughts.

"No, I wasn't trying to kill myself, neither do I diet." Alice let out a visible sigh of relief. "Actually, I was horribly upset because…" she trailed off, looking ashamed.

"Then what is it, Bella Swan?"

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**A/N: Review, please??**

**The next chapter will be out as soon as I get at least 10 reviews. **

**I already have the idea for this thing planned out, so I won't abandon it...delays will occur though and so I request you all to be patient.**

**Until I get the time to post in between all my crazy tests, please REVIEW?? Thanks a lot in advance to all those who do! :D**

**Your humble author,  
SashaWPevensie (The Eternally Clumsy!)**

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	5. Chapter 5: Bella's Story

**Chapter 5 – Bella's Story**

"It' – it's nothing, Alice. Just a little tiff with my mom, that's all." One look at Alice's face was all that it took for Bella to understand that Alice wasn't really buying her story. Alice raised a perfectly arched eyebrow at Bella. "Tell it to me," she whispered soothingly. "It will only make you feel lighter."

Bella sighed. The tale of the humongous fight with her parents and the subsequent one with her best friend turned boyfriend Jacob was not one that she was proud of.

"If it's personal, I'll understand," she whispered softly. Bella looked up at her in surprise. It was so surprising that where her own parents and boyfriend had been unable to understand her, a perfect stranger like Alice had been successful.

Bella sighed heavily. "No," she said with sudden force. "I-I will tell you. But please don't be quick to judge, alright?" pleaded Bella as if her life depended on Alice's verdict. Alice nodded, her liquid onyx eyes filled with sympathy.

Bella took a few deep breaths, feeling like as though the weight of her 'secret' would crush her down, lower and lower until all of her was buried deep into chasms of the earth, unable to surface even iof she dedicated her entire strength to escaping.

"It all started after graduation," started Bella, eyes downcast. Alice said nothing, knowing all too well from experience that all Bella wanted was to get rid of the weight upon her chest and be free from the chains that bound her to those memories.

"I got accepted at the Dartmouth, Yale and University of California. I chose to go to California because…" she broke off, the tears welling up in her chocolate eyes for the second time. Alice did not press her.

"Because my parents were getting divorced. I could not bear to see my home broken, my little word of happiness destroyed. I didn't even see it coming because the months that Renee and Charlie – my mum and dad – spent squabbling, I used up in alternately cramming for my finals and floating on cloud nine with my friends, enjoying the thrill of spending our last and final year of school."

"The final exams came up like a thundercloud in my then sunny life, and I was getting a heart attack whenever the thought of trigonometry entered my head. So I shut myself up in my room for two nearly two weeks and studied like I had never before, leaving my room only at mealtimes. Even then, I never noticed the tensed atmosphere at the dining table or the suitcases that were lined up beneath the bookshelf."

Alice shook her head sadly. _Poor Bella…she totally doesn't deserve such a cruel punishment, noted Alice sadly._ She caught Bella's warm hand in her cold ones in an impromptu gesture. With a sudden gasp, Bella drew her hands away from Alice's cold grasp. "Your hands!" she gasped. "They're so…_cold! _Freezing, actually. Am I having a fever?" She touched her forehead ponderingly.

Alice cursed her luck. _Shit! This girl was just a bit too observant…I mustn't let slip like that! _Frantically, she made up a story that would pass off convincingly enough to the exceptionally sharp Bella.

"Uh, remember that cranberry juice I drank?" reminded Alice, wincing inwardly. The thing had tasted as delicious as mud. But not like she was going unveil that little fact to Bella. "It was freezing cold and had large chunks of ice in it, Bella." She grinned. "How can you not expect my hands to be cold? I was clutching at that glass all the time!"

Bella looked unsure. "Are you sure?" she asked Alice. "Positive," she reassured. "Would you like to continue what you were telling me, or is it getting a bit too…" she trailed off suggestively.

Bella glimpsed once at Alice's face and read nothing but understanding of her situation, sympathy for the hurt she had had to deal with and a sisterly sort of love. And though Alice looked much younger than Bella with her petite frame and pixie face, Bella knew better than to underestimate anybody. And so she continued.

"When my mom announced their divorce to me, I literally went ballistic. I was a young, frivolous thing of seventeen and when I pictured the gaping hole that my mom's departure would create, it was all I could do to keep from crying my lungs out and going after her."

That was when I decided that I would go to college as far away from home as I could. I broke all ties with my parents…I hated them, both of them with a vendetta I never knew I was capable of. I became a coldhearted thing, not wanting to drown myself in yet another failed relationship with anyone and so I made no friends, or anything else for that matter."

She took a few more deep, shaky breaths and looked evenly at Alice. "Why do you even want to know all this, Alice?" she demanded of her suddenly. "Why does any of this matter to you, or affect you in any way? I mean-" She broke off shamefacedly, reprimanding herself. She should have been thanking this girl instead of interrogating her! Besides, what was the worst thing that she could do with such information? Emotionally blackmail her? Bella had plenty of expertise in that region and was sure that she wouldn't fall prey to such nonsense. Besides, something about her open, friendly face and deep eyes told her that it was alright to trust her. And she found no reason to distrust the little voice in her head who had said so. She looked back at Alice, who said nothing. She was sitting perfectly still, her gaze penetrating deep into Bella.

"I just want to know, Isabella," she finally said. "It's Bella, please," she mumbled. She received no reply; only yet another searching gaze.

"Well, college went on fine…I did not really kill myself out of clumsiness – only a few broken bones here and there, torn ligaments-oh, and plenty of paper cuts, because I am Literature major – which requires turning a _lot_ of books!" Alice laughed at this, and it set Bella into giggles. Soon, the two were clutching at each other and shaking with helpless laughter.

"Anyways," said Bella, still chortling. "After I was done with college, I was employed at the California Times –_the_ most prestigious paper of California. I was twenty-one then." She added her age. After a sudden loud sigh, she continued. "Guess what next surprise life decides to hurl my way – I found Jacob there, working as editor in chief. I swear, it blew my mind away – it was quite surprising that I did not get a heart attack, actually." Alice still said nothing and Bella took it as a sign that she was listening, so she continued.

"As hard as I tried, I couldn't keep away from him, Alice. And I did try _so_ hard. I knew him from Forks-" Alice froze as the word left her mouth but Bella barreled on, apparently not noticing the change in her posture. "His dad, Billy Black and my dad Charlie were best friends. We met, and then Jacob was nothing more than a best friend to me – I called him my personal sunshine." She smiled ruefully at the memory. "Back then we were carefree teenagers. And as if I wasn't clumsy enough already, I made him give me a motorcycle lesson. Does it surprise you that I broke my femur in 4 places?"

She didn't pause for an answer. "Jacob was beside himself with worry. And that's when our 'relationship' really began. He loved me with a fierce passion unlike one I've seen in anyone." Her face went cold.

"But he was _so_ overly possessive, Alice!" exclaimed Bella, her voicing rising over two octaves. "I couldn't stand it, not when I wasn't overly keen on having him for a boyfriend in the first place. A fact that I wasn't too sharp to notice in the first place," she said bitterly.

"When I spied him again, for the first time in four years, I-I didn't know what to say, how to act. What if I made the same mistakes again?"

"And?" interjected Alice, fingers interlocked and a tense expression gracing her delicate features. Again, Bella didn't notice, for which she was extremely thankful.

"He…h...H…he was just being too sweet about the breakup that we had suffered four years ago – and told me that he wanted to start anew. I pretended like I didn't know what he was talking about, but eventually, I had to make a decision. It was wrong of me to leave him presuming things like that – I had already hurt him too much, for which I am still guilty."

"So I refused to him, said that I wanted my space. He mistook me, thinking that I had another man in my life. But I didn't, Alice!" she pleaded, eyes filled with anguish. She searched for some signs of forgiveness in Alice's eyes, as if it was to Alice that she had made such mistakes.

"I could never ever love anyone…I had a lot of love to give, Alice….I had lost it all."

"I soon quit my job there and went back to university, pursuing a degree in Marine Biology in which I had somehow attained immense interest. After four intense years there, I went to visit my parents after almost nine years."

"And what happened when you went to your parents, Bella?"

Her face grew hard. "I needed a place to stay at – I hadn't exactly earned a lot being a journalist for a mere eight months. Renee and Charlie got into a massive argument as to who will be housing me. Somehow, they threw Jacob into the conversation, and my parents fought with the likes of never before. You should have heard them, Alice!"

Giant tears rolled down her eyes now. But she didn't stop, feeling an urgent need to drain herself from these memories. For even though they would always be there, somehow sharing them with another individual made the burden lighter and lighter, till when it was felt no more. And so, like a new-born baby eagerly suckling from its mother, Bella did not stop with the narration of her tale even though she was crying like thunderclouds that had finally released their raindrops after holding on to them for so long. Her shoulders shook and she gasped for breath, drawing her legs to her chest and hugging them tightly.

Alice would have cried had she been able to. The sight of Bella before her eyes, utterly crushed was more that she could bear. At least she had the consolation of knowing that it wouldn't be like this for long. Bella didn't even have that much. But _how_ long…who knew?

"And that's when I decided to come aboard this cruise," she declared amidst sobs. How she did it, Alice couldn't figure it out. "I have my life possessions aboard this ship-every single book, dress, shoe and other things that I own. I have no home, no family and no one that I can call a friend." She ended with a melancholy note.

Alice looked taken aback at the sudden change in her voice. There she was a moment ago, sobbing and gasping for air and the next minute she was being realistic and looking at life right in the eye. Immediately, Alice decided that she really liked this girl.

She got out of her seat and literally waltzed over to Bella's. Enveloping her in a quick hug, she whispered to her, "You are not alone in this world, Bella. Today, you have made a new friend – me. And believe me when I say that you can't get rid of me, not for a lifetime."

Just _how _true those words were, Bella was going to find out pretty soon.

**A/N: Many, many thanks to all the reviewers...hope to see more reviews! They make me really happy... :D :D**

**Will update as soon as possible, but may not be for a week or two because I've got many papers to submit and tests to write, so I'm flooded with work - SORRY and please do review! Hopeing to see 10 for this chapter at least...PLEASE!**

**So Long,  
SashaWPevensie (The Eternally Clumsy!)**


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